Control
by iCe
Summary: Being Fire Lord, Zuko has learned that in any relationship, control is necessary. And he and Mai control each other rather well.
1. Controlling Fire

Okay, this was much more explicit before I decided to upload it here. For the uncensored version, it could be found in my journal at ice-of-dreams. livejournal. com / 85665. html without the spaces. But mainly that's just pRN. The first part is pretty much the same, just some deleted contexts, but the entire scene in the throne room has been cut from this version and Mai's part is definitely in my journal because that's light BDSM. Otherwise, here's **hints** that ff.n wants, with none of the lemons and lots of the limes.

* * *

**CONTROL**

Sometimes, Mai was in control.

When she was, there were knives. There was blood. There was fear. But always, always, there was trust.

Sometimes, Zuko was in control.

When he was, there was fire. There was passion. There was discipline. But always, always, there was love.

So they had agreed, in their stand-offish and nonchalant way that they should finally get married. The five years after Sozin's comet had been hard on Zuko as Fire Lord, and he had been so young, and there had been too many political and stability problems that there hadn't been any time than just simply be with each other.

Now that most of the short term goals had been achieved, advisers had finally started noticing the time they spent in each other's company, and they had taken an active interest in it. Marriage to each other became the logical choice.

They had wanted to announce the engagement privately, to a group of small friends, but his advisers would have none of it. And politically, it was better that they endured a public event. So Mai had found herself in the swirl of engagement planning, until finally, she had been caught by Zuko and been firmly ordered to undergo a royal hair combing.

Mai enjoyed the water pulling her hair and the combs gliding on her long locks. There was something soothing about the sounds of tricking water against the rocks, that she had fallen asleep in short order. She woke up sleepily just as the sun cast orange hues on the room, a comb still working on her hair. She blinked her eyes open, still languid from sleep. She almost always fell asleep through the combing. There was a bone deep contentment when someone was caring for you, brushing your hair, lulling in a way.

"I was wondering if I was going to be forced to go to the announcement by myself," Zuko's gravely voice was serious. Mai tried to turn towards the direction of his voice, but his firm hand settled her back on the chair. "You're going to ruin an hour of my combing."

And Zuko hated for any of his work to go to waste. So she didn't move, even when he stopped and she heard the clink of the comb against its marble case. A white towel was wrapped around her shoulders as he gingerly lifted her hair out of the water and helped her up. Even with the towel, her hair was long enough to make her dress damp.

"You're getting me wet," Mai scolded a little. He had never actually gotten used to drying. And he had dismissed everyone competent enough to do it. He had tried fire bending before, but it made her hair so unnaturally frizzy that he usually just let it drip around the floor. It was a mess to clean up, but there were benefits to being Fire Lord.

"You'll need to change anyway," he said softly as he used another towel to pat some of her hair dry. He held her hair away from her bodice anyway and gave her a small nudge. "Come on, I have your dress in my room."

She lifted an eyebrow at that, but didn't comment further. His suite **was** closer than her house, and it was more practical and time-saving to do all the preparations there. She wanted to turn to him, but he had clamped down on her shoulder again. It was one of **his** days.

Only a small corridor separated his room from the combing chambers and he started undressing her from behind as soon as he closed the doors. He untied the strings that kept her dress together, barely touching bare skin in the process and dropped them to the floor. He was uncommonly untidy today. She shivered lightly at the cold, and subtly the fires that lit his rooms burned stronger.

He took out the breast-bindings carefully, unwrapping her from it slowly. He urged her to lift her arms as he peeled it off gently, and then exchanged it for the red silk bindings that came with the dress she would wear that night. She reached for one end but he nudged her hand impatiently away as he smoothed out the fabric over her skin. His right hand unrolled the silk slowly, while his left followed, laying it against her breasts in the weaving pattern that was more intricate than the usual.

"Is it difficult to breathe?" he asked as he tied the knots. She tested it slowly. There was restriction, and it was hard to take deep breaths, but breathing was not a problem, and she wouldn't faint from his ministrations. Not unless he meant other things. He always made her a little breathless. She shook her head. "Good. All those sprains when I was younger managed to make me good at managing bandages at least."

He finally walked in front of her, eyeing her critically. His eyebrows drawn in concentration. He was already dressed in his formal robes. The high collared shoulder guards and the black, gold and reds always made him look too serious. It helped him look older when he needed. It helped that the crown was displayed prominently as well.

"Found what you're looking for?" Mai asked solemnly as she underwent his scrutiny. She was wearing her knife straps and her underwear. Stripped down to minimum essentials, he had managed to make her feel special instead of insulted. He touched the small stilettos at her wrists and the knife holsters along her forearm.

His eyes rose to meet hers. He turned around without answering and went to his desk where a small wooden box was placed. He opened it and beckoned for her to come. Curiously she peered over his shoulder and he tugged her in front of him, holding his arms around her. The box contained an array of small steel orbs, almost the size of the small marbles that she had seen him playing as a child.

"Choose two," he ordered.

They were all identical but she weighed them against her palm and picked the most even weighted spheres from the lot, presenting them to him purposefully. He touched one and it warmed suddenly as it rolled around continuously shifting on her palm. When he touched the other she almost dropped them as his lightning sent a little shiver through her. He closed his hands over them helping her to hold on to them.

"Don't lose them," he admonished lightly as he picked both and rolled them against his fingers. He propped his chin against her shoulder. Mai could only lean back against him in support. "They were my old practice beads; to contain the smallest of my fire and lightning. Did it hurt?"

She failed miserably to answer the first time, before she cleared her throat and try again. "No."

"I think your hands are too unsteady to hold them, Mai," he whispered. She licked her lips as her breath hitched. He rolled them against her abdomen before he pressed them deep within her folds. She moaned slightly as she felt them move and slide before his fingers left her as well. She tightened her muscles, and gasped when he gave her a small buzz. If he hadn't been behind her, supporting her up, she wasn't sure if she would have remained upright.

She caught his smile as he took her formal regalia, all laid out in his bed, and held it up for her to step into. There was a smile hovering on his mouth. "I'll be really upset if you lose them, Mai," he reminded her.

"Let's see if you say that when I have my go at you." Mai complained as he heated one of the balls up. She barely managed a thought as he wrapped her in her formal red robes. The silk was almost unbearable against her skin. It was a wonder that the breast-bands contained her. He didn't allow her to help him, so she let him arrange her like a well loved doll. "And you're not making it easier!"

His hand lingered over the last elaborate tie, ignoring her complaints. He looked at her eyes again and must have liked what he saw because he spun in front of her and offered his hand. "Come on my lady. Your engagement party waits."

She took a step towards him and almost stumbled. They were the most exquisite form of torture, the shifted inside her as she walked. And she had a feeling he was going to keep buzzing her the entire night. "How am I going to socialize without a straight sentence in my head?"

"You hate socializing."

oOo

They announced them at the entrance of the great hall. He buzzed her as they walked down the steps, which caused her to almost lose her footing again. She gave him a glare but he said in a low voice, "Careful, others might think you have some other emotion than ennui."

He was proud that he was the only one who could elicit her stronger emotions. He succeeded in tweaking her emotions quite well. He wondered if she could manage to keep up with Ty Lee with the way he'd wound her up. And as soon as he'd deposited her with the Kiyoshi warriors, he was eaten up by the crowd of politics.

There were ambassadors of good will, chieftains of water tribes, he spotted some of the old gang and he smiled when he spotted Toph. "Hey, Sparky, finally convinced Mai to take a chance on you?"

He shrugged as he looked back at Mai again waved a small finger to send her yet another buzz, in which she nonchalantly turned around to look for him. He smiled and focused on Toph. "Mai has always believed in us. We just never had the time to settle."

"Hmmm..." Toph asked curiously. "What's that bending you're doing?"

He shouldn't have kept with Toph. He knew she'd find out. He rubbed his knuckles against her hair, even though she was dressed as a proper Earth Kingdom heiress. "Keeping some sparks alive, squirt."

"Hey, watch the hair! I am not going to sit another round **combing**." He smiled as he remembered Mai's combing. He liked taking care of her. Toph snorted and pulled him towards old friends "I don't get why you separated from her when you would just **think** about her. Come on, you might as well talk to Aang and everyone else."

oOo

Ty Lee had the attention span of a three year old. After they talked about their respective lives, about Kiyoshi and all the other things friends did to catch up, a young fire nation noble caught her attention and she was off to perform. It left Mai with the need to circulate and to mingling.

It was just so tiring. It was hard to nod thanks to congratulations because all she wanted was to find Zuko and an empty room somewhere. He was making it quite unbearable for her to stand without support.

There was only need and want and him.

She didn't like losing control in public places. She leaned against a wall. It was so against her character to be anything but bored in a public gathering. It was probably why Zuko had done it in the first place. She was going to kill him. She needed him now, but he was off talking to **important** people.

She took a steadying breath and nodded at another noble before leaning against a wall. She needed fortification. Zuko was bending lighting hard right now. It buzzed deliciously against the ball that held it, as it continually shifted as she moved. It touched her core then traveled to her spine. It was driving her completely mad.

She closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling, that ache of continuously wanting him.

He was getting jealous. She could tell. Any time she talked to a guy, or anybody **male** dared to walk up to her and talk to her, he would send her a punishing jolt of bending. So she just **had** to surround herself with all of these pretty males in the hopes that he'd lose patience soon and fetch her. And cling to her. And **burn** for her too.

She opened her eyes. Three males, around her, talking about politics. The most **stimulating** of all topics. But if she was going to be Fire Lady, and not just consort, she had to at least show some sort of interest. She raised her eyebrow. Okay that was all the interest she could muster. Not when Zuko was sending her flames.

"Lady Mai, do you believe all of these changes in the curriculum? Dancing?" From a male whose name she'd forgotten.

Dancing. Zuko hated dancing. He did it for her though. He hated it, but he did it if she requested it. And then afterwards, there wasn't much to hate if she danced **with** him. **Against** him - the jolt he sent her almost sent her knees weak. She leaned more heavily against the wall. She was going to kill him. Slowly.

She found three expectant male faces in front of her. Dancing. Of course. "I don't find anything wrong with, dancing, gentlemen," her voice was low, almost intimate. Damn it. If someone propositioned in the middle of the party, it was not going to be her fault.

All three males cleared their throats. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall again. She hoped that was the most that they would ask of her. They'd been asking about land reform. Military. Anything that they could think of. She'd stayed because they were the prettiest males this side of the kingdom. And Zuko hated pretty males.

"Lady Mai, would you like anything?" The voice was not rough, it was not gravely and she didn't want to answer anymore.

Mai opened her eyes a crack. "The fires are just slightly warm." _Goddamnit Mai, you live in the Fire Nation. Your fiancé is a fire bender. Surely there was another reason for her to be losing the battle against staying up right?_ She cleared her throat.

Someone touched her shoulder, and there was heat in the touch. She turned towards this new intrusion and almost fell to her knees when she saw it was Zuko. She moved to him, and he caught her, making it appear like she leaned into him. Her face pressed against his shoulder blade he bended into her again as he dismissed the unwanted males. She bit into his shirt lightly and he gave another punishing buzz before he focused on her, "You're showing your flushed face to everyone, Mai."

She groaned slowly and she wondered if the sound maddened him as his bending was doing to her. She hoped it did. In a secluded corner in the great hall his arms protecting her from other eyes she rubbed herself against him, satisfied when she felt his reaction to her outlined in his robes.

"I think I might just scream in want," she whispered as she hid her face in his arms, her voice cracked a little. The buzzing had been constant, erratic and hard at times. It raised her temperature and made her breathing shallow. "Claim I'm tired. People will believe it. Hell, tell them I'm bored. Please, Zuko. Let's go to your room. You made me want it enough."

"We haven't announced the engagement," he admonished. Which was the point of the entire gathering. They were the only ones calling it an engagement party. Every one thought they were going to announce some proclamation. She just wished he wasn't practical. The constant bending kept his voice rougher than usual. His bending always roughened his voice and deepened it. It almost reminded her of his moments when he whispered her name in release. "Let's duck in the throne room. No one should be there."

The sight of her almost undone, exited him. She could tell by the way his golden eyes had flared. He breathed her in as if it could calm him. There was no calming him tonight. He pulled her with him towards the throne room. How he managed the trek without meeting anybody she didn't know. They were conspicuous enough. The Fire Lord and his lady.

They'll be distracted by the firebending masters. Zuko had planned the entertainment well. He led her towards the less populated halls of the main castle. He nodded to the two guards before pulled her in the throne room and then shut the heavy doors behind them. He tugged her into the low dais of the throne room and then hugged her close to him.

"It's too dark here," she said as she took in the black tiles and the black pillars. He bended fire into the river of oil that separated the throne from the rest of the people and council members, and the gold reflected the dancing flames. "And hot. How do you stand it?"

"By moving most of the meetings in an informal receiving room. And using this room only when **strictly** necessary." He licked her ear, and she shuddered. "This is necessary. Look at all of these people here, Mai. Thousands of petitioners bowing before us." He kissed her ear. "They want to see their Fire Lord take his lady on the throne, against it."

oOo

"The guards got a free show," Mai commented dryly as Zuko helped straighten her dress. She had to give him credit. He hadn't creased the dress beyond repair.

"We had a wall of fire between us and them," Zuko scoffed. "They couldn't have seen you."

"They heard me though," Mai pointed out as Zuko smoothed her ribbons and tucked her hair.

"They know you're mine," Zuko said as he held out his hand to her. "And they know the consequences of gossip."

Mai sighed. He was usually shyer with sex than she was. But he hadn't gotten over the post-coital glow... yet. "One of these days I'm shoving those balls up your ass and see how you like it."

His grip tensed and then relaxed. She laughed. Turn about was fair play after all. "Fire Lord, present me to your subjects one more time."

He almost stumbled.

oOo

That night, the Fire Lord announced his intention to wed Lady Mai. The whole kingdom rejoiced.

They also approved of the fact that the Fire Lord was deeply in love with his lady that he stuttered when he presented her to his court and almost fidgeted with thanking them for coming to see her.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Largely sanitized due to fanfiction. net's policy of no NC-17. Again, full fic is at my livejournal. Most of what happened in the throne room and Mai's control scene is there because it's light BDSM.

Okay, this is the first foray in writing both avatar and this type of fic. I haven't written in a while but had gotten so hooked with MaixZuko so I decided to step back into writing once again.

I realized once I started looking for Zuko fics that there were tons of Zuko Jet smut, and lots of Zutara smut, and lots of Zuko x Sokka smut, but where the hell was all the Maiko Smut? Too few and far between. Hence this. And while I enjoy almost any pair up Zuko ends up with, I find that Mai x Zuko settled against my romantic side quite easily.

It didn't end up as expected, and it was harder to write than I thought, with no beta and no experience at this so comments and criticism are welcome.

A good bloodplay/knifeplay story found in ff. n is: Release by RueBroadway. So I hope I tackled my story differently... and for the Mai part, again I point to my journal.

I am unsure about Toph's characterization, hence the extremely few lines present here.


	2. Like Moths to the Flame

**Warnings**: Some innuendo. Nothing explicit. And post season 3. I removed any references to the little tie me up tie me down from the study scene. Because I'm not quite sure how strong the ratings for fanfiction. net are. If you want to read that: it can be found in ice-of-dreams. livejournal. com / 86001. html no spaces. But mostly this is unaltered.

There are some references to Mai's Control scene in my livejournal, but you'd still understand it without that.

**Disclaimer**: Avatar: The Last Airbender sprouted from the brilliant minds of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Nickelodeon. I'm borrowing Mai and Zuko for a while. I promise I'll return them with no bleeding this time and just slightly sore wrists.

**Like Moths to the Flame**

Sometimes, Zuko just lay down on Mai's lap soaking the sun in the afternoon. It was quite lazy, and something he could only indulge in at least once in a week. But he liked keeping her company when she was reading or throwing knives.

She wasn't demanding when he wanted time alone. But one hand always trailed along his spine, or his cheek, or was mussing his hair. She never noticed doing it, but Mai was starved for contact. She loved touching him, even when she wasn't aware of it.

These types of days lulled him into settling peace, so he didn't quite catch her suggestion the first time. "I'm sorry what did you say?"

She waited patiently until she had all of his attention. And she was sure she was going to get it. Zuko always focused his attention, especially on her. "I said, you should burn me a little."

He scrambled up to a sitting position and looked at her. No she didn't have that crazy look in her eye. She looked determined and utterly serious. "Are you crazy? I've been so careful of you! You have such nice skin and..." he trailed off at her deadpan look.

Her skin was smooth, alabaster. If she was naked in the evening he swore it could glow in the moonlight. It was a body his flame almost worshipped. Down to the small birthmark on her hip. The dark, dark mole at the base of her spine, where her back met her ass. It was marble, and he was an artist. She was a goddess, and he was her supplicant. She couldn't be serious.

She brought the scroll she was reading to his face and showed him a small design. It was a Fire Nation emblem, probably Sozin's because it had the comet prominently in it. "Something like this, you know, but small. But large enough that when people see they're going to know I'm yours."

"Are you asking me to — to, brand you?" he asked her incredulously. He felt sick. She was usually so careful with him. She never touched things that could make him queasy. She pushed his boundaries, but she'd never asked something that could break him. This could shatter him completely.

"Well that's one way of putting it," her tone was flat now as she dropped her hand towards the grass. She raised her shoulder. As if she didn't care. But he'd learned that the more deadpan she was, the more that things mattered to her.

"No, Mai, No..." he brought his hand up to hide his scar. Sometimes when he looked at the mirror and covered his face, he could see it whole again. He wanted her to see that. How to explain that she would understand? "This is a brand my father gave me. And it hurt like hell when he gave it, and I don't want to hurt you. What you're asking me, it's almost like you're asking me to be my father."

He had a larger scar on his chest, the one from Azula, but that wasn't quite the same. She reached out to cup his hand. She scooted closer then settled her forehead against his. "Does it hurt now?"

He shook his head. Sometimes, there were twinges of pain from it. And it didn't feel like the rest of his skin. The large patch of skin could feel pressure but it couldn't feel light touch. And when you pressed it hard enough, it could feel pain. On any other part of his body pressure was a heavy thing, but on his face it was sharp and stinging. Like his father burned away the good feelings and left all of the bad. It was dark and it was ugly, and he'd accepted that it was part of him, but he wanted her spared of it. "I don't want to do it, Mai."

She considered, using her other hand to hold his neck as she looked him in the eye. "Is that a hard boundary, soldier?"

He swallowed. When she referred to him like that, she wasn't asking as Mai. She was asking as his Queen. They used it for sexual games, but she used it to dominate him too. It forced him to consider what he was going to say, because she would take it seriously. But he couldn't answer off-handedly; he had to know her side of it too. Maybe he could live with it. "Do you want it badly? Why do you want to do it?"

She let him go, and then lay back on the grass staring up at the clear sky. "It's hard for me to care about a lot of things. Everything is intense with you Zuko. And that's all right. I bank your flames and you kindle mine. But I want everyone to know that I belong to you. Despite the fact that I don't seem to care. I do care about you."

She spoke romance when she said things like this. Mai may look like she didn't feel, but she felt strongly. Under that cool facade, Mai felt the world through this veil. When she was with him, he felt like he tore her shields, forcing her to feel too much. But she knew that, she accepted it. There was something liberating about being with someone who only cared about **you**. He knew Mai would never tire of him, because it was against her nature to care for too many. She depended on him that way. And he depended on her because of it.

She banked his flames. She helped him maintain control. He lost control with her, but she controlled him. Control flowed from both of them pushing and pulling like the moon pulled the tides. He was sure any other lover would have been scarred. Irreparably, irrevocably scarred, because only Mai could tame him. Some firebenders hurt the ones they love frequently. Because they lose control. She made sure that when he lost control she snapped him back to it.

"**I** know that," Zuko protested. He found space to press against her side, lying down facing her, watching her watch the sky. He wanted his love to be enough for her. "We don't need to tell the world about it. I don't need you to care about the world Mai. It's enough for me that you care about me."

"Is it, really?" She turned to look at him. "We're marrying Zuko. And we've had the luxury of pretending that the world doesn't exist outside the both of us because we've been separate entities. But when I marry you, people are going to expect me to care about them. I knew that when we decided to do this. I knew that when I decided to become the consort to the Fire Lord.

"But this court. It's always going to remember that I'm aloof, that I'm cold to them. The ladies will try harder to proposition you. A Royal Mistress is a much sought after position Zuko, and second wife, first consort, they'll want those positions. They'll remember that I'm cold, and they'll think they're better."

"Nobody would dare proposition me!" Zuko raged. He saw red. There hadn't been any royal mistresses. His father didn't have any, and Sozin didn't have any. But maybe he'd been too young to care or to see or to understand. The Fire Lord's suites are massive and he had consorts rooms. He just hadn't bothered to populate it because Mai was with him. Mai was enough for him. He didn't care if the scrolls say spending yang in different women and gaining yin would promote health and foster immortality.

Mai smiled a little, tugged on a stray lock of hair that fell out of his topknot. "You're so dense. **Everyone** wants to get into the Fire Lord's bed. They smile behind little fans and talk innuendos which you masterfully ignore because you don't know." And because theirs was a culture that allowed it.

He spluttered for a moment. When that died down he went back to his previous protest. He would. He had a one track mind. "That still doesn't explain why you want a brand!"

"Because it would remind them that you **chose** me. That I'm yours. That you burn enough for me to burn me." She wanted it enough to plead for it. She felt strongly about this. "And when you're with your third concubine, and your fourth, I would remember the pain of this and I would remember to feel something when you don't remember me anymore."

"No, Mai, I would never—" He swallowed several times willing his tongue to work. He found that he couldn't. He hadn't found the right words. He didn't understand why she didn't understand. He didn't understand why she trusted court politics more than him. He loved her enough not to hurt her. He loved her enough to stay.

She touched his lips with her fingers, silencing him. "There's no definite stone set in court. They might ask it of you. I might not be able to produce children. You just **don't know**." Unspoken was the fact that he'd already left her twice. And the fact that as Fire Lord, his advisers had the ability to force her into a unilateral divorce. The mere objection to him taking a concubine is ground for divorce. "You love your honor more than you love me. I understand. And it hurts, but I always knew Zuko wouldn't be Zuko otherwise."

How could she even **think** that? Because he'd left her twice. _But Agni, Mai! I've left a lot of things behind before. I've left people before, uncle, mother... but I've always come back for __**you**__._ She'd given him a blow that he didn't think he could recover from. _Mai... Mai, you do know how to flay a man's soul._

They were just weeks away from the wedding. Was he so dense that he never really felt this much unrest from Mai? He buried his face in her hair. Fire blossoms. He pulled her up. It was the middle of the day. He'd sought her out because he'd just finished a meeting with his war ministers. They always caused him headaches. That and because he hadn't paid her bride price yet, they were going through the motions slowly because there was only so much wedding traditions that could be fit in the Fire Lord's schedule.

He forced himself to consider her words. Because this was Mai. And because he loved her, he wanted to consider what she wanted. He undressed her slowly behind that large Royal Flame tree that hid this little part of the garden from the rest of the palace and admired her waxen skin.

He trailed his fingers, over her neck, her nape, her breast, her hip. Touching was his compass when he was with her. She didn't flinch. Mai was the perfect statue when she wanted to be. "If we were to do it, where would you want it?"

She gathered her hair and exposed the back of her neck to him. It was a spot he favored touching with her. He kissed her softly there now. She shuddered. He flicked open a small flame in his palm and brought it close to her. She didn't flinch. Mai was not a bender, but she didn't balk when fire was brought close. She looked at him then started to touch him, feeling her way through the arm that held his flame. When her fingers were near his hand, she closed her hands over the fire and brought his hand against her lips kissing the knuckles slowly, looking him directly in the eye.

He'd extinguished the flame before her hand closed on his palm, but he'd been more scared than she was. She rubbed her cheek against his knuckles. "That's why I'm not scared of it, Zuko. You wouldn't hurt me on purpose."

_But you'd hurt me by doing it._ Maybe she didn't understand that he'd lose part of himself if he did something to damage her. She brought him closer for a kiss. He kissed her. She clung to him, as if she just hadn't scared him. As if she just hadn't hurt him.

He broke off the kiss. She leaned forward, missing his touch. A little empty that he'd left her. He fetched her clothes and draped it around her. "Who is it, Mai? Who's been hurting you?"

She looked away. She wouldn't have asked if someone wasn't bothering her with it. He swore. Then he pulled her towards the palace. "Zuko—" she protested weakly. She wasn't fully dressed. He looked at her. Her clothes were all untied but she was completely covered.

He ended up carrying her. She protested, but he didn't listen to it much. They ignored a lot of each other's protests, he noticed. She thought they would end up in his room, but he'd deposited her in his study. He turned away muttering to himself as she began to dress.

"It couldn't be Lady Ning Chai Chun and Lady Yee is too old. And frankly lady Sou-Ching is butt ugly to insinuate that she could warm my bed," he ticked off different names, but she was stoic. "Lord Jiang? No?" He snapped his fingers. "Lady Hania. Has to be." He opened a large walk in closet and emptied out the area, stuffing piles of paper into another closet. Once he was certain the space was tolerable he looked at her.

He held out his palm. "Knives, Mai."

She gave them up some resistance, but she knew he was going to be adamant about it. He kissed her again. She glared at him. "You're planning to leave me alone entire **day** aren't you? I want you **now**, Zuko." But she knew that they were fragile enough together as it is. And they wouldn't come together while there was hurt. She understood the need for him to do it alone too; else she would be struggling more. If it seemed like she was dictating him, the ladies would think that he was too weak to rule. If it seemed like he was ignoring her, the ladies would think they had a clear chance with him. Balance.

"And we must learn patience, Mai," he reminded her as he pushed her through the small adjoining room where a personal servant or a lover could wait while he was in his study. It paralleled the chamber where visitors waited until he could see to them. "Would it be uncomfortable, if you wait for me?"

She had stayed in the room countless times before and had managed to read, sometimes, she threw knives against one of the walls where she had pinned a large durable frame of fabric. She shook her head. She could see into his study through the slats of the door, carefully concealed from the study. "Don't be long."

He closed the door. The proceeded to called out to one of his personal servants to bring in the set of aristocrats he wanted. Then he sat behind his desk to wait for them.

The first lady arrived, and now that Mai had ripped the veil out of his eyes, he observed her for what she truly was. He didn't know how he'd stand to be in their presence again after this. Not without Mai. He was going to get married, and how was he going to juggle the politics of their power with the need to keep himself sane?

"My lord, how delightful that you wanted to meet with me today," she was slightly breathless, and he wasn't sure if it was because she had rushed to meet the summons, or because she wanted to look alluring. Zuko supposed it didn't matter either way. "Would you want to handle my pearls again?"

He gripped his desk almost painfully. Damnit, it wasn't even that subtle. He heard Mai's hiss across the room. "I'm not interested in your jewelry, Lady Hania. I think it's time you see to that industry though. Your parents are overlooking a fishing village just north of here. I would be pleased if you take your knowledge of your **pearls** and enlighten them there."

"Oh but, my lord, it would be so dreadfully **boring** there without your stimulating company. Who would I offer all of the cream I've made?" She pouted and leaned forward. Zuko heard Mai growl, but Hania through self-preservation or through ignorance, didn't seem to notice. It would do a lot of world of good for Lady Hania, if Mai and her knives didn't get close to her right now. He could warn Hania off Mai, but that might just prompt Mai to kill the woman now. Regardless of Mai's state of undress. And Hania hadn't crossed an uncrossable line. She'd made life uncomfortable, but it wasn't grounds enough to banish people. "Maybe I could stay here in the palace and entertain **you**. I make wonderful Fire Blood Soup. I'm sure Lady Mai would appreciate the help."

Zuko did not want to try to decipher what the sentences meant. He knew if he figured it out, he might just kill someone. Things might start exploding. Tonight. In this room. And Mai was not going to prove a restraining influence. He counted to ten. When that didn't help him, he tried for a higher number. He gave up when Hania opened her mouth again, and he headed her off.

"Mai and I dance around each other likes moths to a flame, Lady Hania. When we're with each other, I'm afraid, there is **no one** else. We consume each other completely that there's nothing left to give." He gathered himself. He hadn't meant to say that. It had left him vulnerable to Hania in some way because he had bared his love for Mai. He had wanted to tell that to Mai, but she was relegated to hearing it second hand. "I would really appreciate it if you take the time to look at the jewels in that village, Lady Hania. With your discerning eye, I would learn enough from that industry."

She pouted. Okay it was time to dismiss her before she thought of another proposition. Or if she got desperate enough to try to touch him. He wasn't sure Mai was up to seeing him touched by someone else right now. "Thank you for your time, Lady Hania, please tell my steward to wait a couple more minutes before he sends the next one in?"

She rose gracefully from her chair. Gave him what he supposed was a sultry looked, but looked like she had indigestion, and left the room.

He opened the door to the waiting room. Mai lunged at him. "Damn it, Zuko. I hate seeing her with you."

"Kiss me to make me feel clean again?" he pleaded before leaning in towards her to take what he'd asked. He breathed in her clean scent and he took from her what peace the other woman had stolen. "Agni wept, Mai, how am I going to get through this without you?"

"It is the reason why I am currently held captive in your study," Mai reminded him as he kissed her neck. He bit her hard there in reprimand and rubbed at the red discoloration he left. He smiled.

"That and I was scared that now that I've forced the issue you'd start hurting them," he joked. She must have had urges to do it before. All bets were off now that it was acknowledged openly between them.

"You are most definitely, a moron," Mai said, but her golden eyes were starting to get glassy and she leaned away from him. "Zuko, stop, you're not going to have time for more." She groaned as he found her pulse at the other side of her neck. "Oh Agni, you're going to keep torturing me after every woman aren't you?"

"You should have told me earlier about it, Mai." He bit down at the juncture of her neck and collar bone. She groaned, then he licked the spot to soothe it. "It's a punishment too."

There was a scratch on the door, so Zuko pulled apart from Mai, kissed her one last time and closed the door. He heard her muffled curse as he straightened and went back to his chair. He took a deep breath and called out, "Come in."

oOo

She didn't know how many he had on the damnable list of his. Lady Hania was the only one who he'd sent away. He had managed to express to everyone else that he was clearly off limits. Not that they'd stop trying, but he was being less vague now that he knew.

It was touching that he thought of her that way. But laws on concubinage were in place to keep the line alive. She didn't see Zuko entertaining hundreds and thousands of concubines. But if he wanted he could.

He had come back after every one. He kissed her like there was no one waiting for them. He kissed her and kept her on the edge for him. He treated her like a cleansing flame, as if she purified his soul.

As though she'd summoned him by thinking of it he opened the closet door again. He untied her and massaged her arms. "Mai, Mai, what good is being Fire Lord if I can't get what I want? Let's make tons of children." He pressed at her stomach. "Let's not give them reason to see this match as bad."

"Yes, Fire Lord. Let's go to bed," Mai ordered as she snuggled deeply into is arms. She was only wearing her underclothes. He might as well carry her to his rooms. She opened her eyes a fraction, she shouldn't forget this part. "And Zuko?"

"Hmm?" He asked as he took his outer robe off and draped her with it before carrying her in his arms.

"I'm sorry," Mai mumbled. She shouldn't have asked about the burn. It was irresponsible, and she should have known him better than that.

"I know, fire of my heart," Zuko answered softly as he kissed her forehead. All was forgiven. "I know."

**Author's Notes**

Oh... god. I don't know how this ended up like this. I just really wanted for Mai to ask for a burn mark. I mean it seemed like a logical idea, and some fics do have Mai getting burned by Zuko's flame during the heat of the moment. But Zuko resisted the idea so badly.

I was afraid I was going to break him if Mai pushed.

And I think I over did it with the fire metaphors. Uhuh.

Oh, and I also have this nasty scar on my leg. I fell down the steps and skinned my leg really bad, it needed stitches but I didn't know and let it heal over without said stitches. So yeah. Scars do feel like that. Go figure.


	3. Possession

Warnings: Ho hum... what to say about this uh hum post season 3. An attempt at writing threesome, but then NOT. Oh, and a little bit of crossdressing.

Another stand alone that can be read after Circling Dragon, Rising Phoenix, I've separated that in this site because of the general T rating of that fic and M rating of this fic, but they're both stand-alones set on the same universe.

For the purposes of this site, this fic has been sanitized. Some parts of the fic have been cut out to give it an M rating rather than the MA it actually is. The complete fic could be found in ice-of-dreams. livejournal. com / 86032. html if you're interested. If you're not into that, then here we go. ... And I realized I wasn't as thorough as I first thought... I re-sanitize this again.

**Disclaimer**: Avatar: The Last Airbender sprouted from the brilliant minds of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Nickelodeon. I'm borrowing Mai and Zuko for a while. I promise I'll return them with just bare minimum embarassment and good times. No one was harmed irrevocably when making this fic

* * *

**Possession**

**

* * *

**

"You want to **experiment**?" Zuko choked on the word. "Um, what exactly have we been doing all these years Mai? Because I'm pretty sure it's not conventional."

She laughed. She had the gall to laugh. His ears grew red but he waited it out. She was bound to explain it to him sooner or later. She was the one who brought it up. "Well, I was thinking before we get me pregnant we should bring someone in to play in the bedroom. You know before we have to worry about someone else."

"You want a threesome?" He really wasn't following the conversation very well. "When are we planning to get pregnant anyway?"

They hadn't been doing anything that would test each other's limits. They were creative, and they were adventurous, but they hadn't reached the point that someone walks in looks at them and screams bloody murder. Okay, maybe except the bloodplay. And there was usually no sex involved there.

"I've been using the saffron herbal soup that the Imperial Physician doles out to me and sometimes the sponges. But I'm pretty sure we want children before I'm thirty," she raised her eyebrow. He nodded. They were going to get pressured sooner or later. More sooner than later. They've been enjoying each other for a little over five years. "So I thought it'd be fun. I mean I've never been with anyone, and well, you wandered the world you know. I want adventure."

He tried to prevent the pout. She caressed his cheek. "So you want this because you've never had anyone but **me**? I've never been with anyone but **you**!"

"I just want to try it once. I know I love you, and I'm pretty sure you're crazy about me, so it's just like bringing a toy to the scene." She smiled. Zuko breathed in. He thought his head might have exploded after she said pregnant. "I would have done it without your permission, except that **I** don't know anybody other than court ladies and I wasn't sure you wouldn't use your safe word on me and come screaming out of the room."

He hasn't used his safe word during sex yet. But there were going to be firsts. He swallowed. Mai has asked a lot of things during their time together. He refused some. He'd adamantly refused branding her. He just couldn't. He might have broken irreparably if she'd pursued it. But she sensed it, and she'd managed to change it. He settled against her, on the wide bed that he owned, but she slept in more often than not. What was the use of the Fire Lord's suites if the Fire Lady had her own?

"If we do go through with this, who were you planning on?" Zuko asked, curious.

She smiled, and then shrugged as she rubbed her palm against his shoulder. He didn't know if she knew how that much maddened him beyond thinking. "We could have Song or Jin, they both loved you oodles." He didn't comment. He sensed that if he chose either one she'd bring that ostrich-horse crop into the scene. Just hearing the word oodles on her tongue sent shivers down his spine.

"Sokka would be a good choice. He adores you. The only other person who worships you more is Aang." It was a good thing he was on her lap, lying down. He might have died. On the spot. He tried desperately to resume breathing again. "Ty Lee would be all right, but I'm not sure I want to share you with her. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to invite Azula to play. You treat Toph like a sister, so she's definitely out. And **I'm** pretty sure I'm going to kill Katara if she comes near our bed. I might unintentionally shave something irreplaceable."

"Katara?" Zuko asked, puzzled. He didn't understand why she had issues with Katara.

"Well, we could ask her to play, Zuko, but if she's going to balk at the knives and the blood, she's not going to be much use to us." She sighed and leaned over, then blew her bangs in a frustrated huff. "And frankly people keep whispering you had something between the two of you. I always thought that if you really want people to shut up about gossip then we should feed them a better tidbit."

He spluttered because he didn't have an appropriate answer that she wouldn't take as defensiveness. He couldn't even begin to bend the ways that she had dissected the entire thing **wrong**. Especially since she had dissected some of it right. When he was jealous, Mai was annoyed. When **she** was jealous, she had the right to be. Damnit. Fine. He wasn't touching the topic.

"Maybe we should just buy one of those pleasure seekers for the night," she suggested finally.

That seemed to be the best suggestion she had of the lot. He groaned. He was going to end up agreeing to this stunt. He could feel it. "Tell me again why I'm going to allow this?" his voice was pained.

She leaned down and whispered, "Because I'd love to see you up against the wall, taking someone else, screaming from pleasure and then looking back at me and saying, giving a look that screams: _you may touch this body, but I belong to **Mai**_." She licked his ear for emphasis.

Oh Agni. Mai had ownership issues. She wanted him. Against the wall. With someone else. Just so she could say she owned him. He should have given her a collar for their wedding. It would have settled better than that wide tattoo. And he actually painfully liked the idea of what she painted. Mai and her **ideas**.

"And I want you to get me heated up like you do in one of your turns, holding me back and letting me sit one out as you play with our new friend and just make me jealous of the fact that you have this new plaything." She raked her nails against his arms. He didn't know if he was uncomfortable with referring to this mysterious third partner as a plaything or not, but he knew he was getting turned on regardless. "And then you take him."

He was burning. Mai had brought her hand under his robes and was stroking his chest idly, and he couldn't move, because he was caught with the story and her breath was warm against his skin. He was painfully aware that his head was on her lap, but she wasn't doing anything but trailing soothing circles against his chest. She scratched the sensitive edges of his scar and he groaned. "And after he spends again, you hold your hand out to me, because you own this slave, and you want to share with your lady and you want to take turns with the knives, but not the mosaic ones, because they're only meant for the Fire Lord's skin. But you want to hit him with the broad end of your Dao blades.

"And you learn how to hold it against the skin, because that's how you love it so, and finally he is exhausted, and has been well pleasured and well cared for. We will dismiss him with a good deal of money, and a lot of fond memories." Her nails suddenly scraped his chest. He wanted to move, but she was holding him down, and he couldn't think with her shifting her hand through his hair. "And then, because you haven't peaked yet — and I'll be displeased if you have, even if he was just a toy — we'll bring each other painfully slow."

The room's lights were shining brighter. Mai had the pleased smug expression on her face when she knew that she had just made him incredibly aroused. He tried to get hold of the conversation again; otherwise he was going to be useless to Mai. "Back up, you want a him?"

She huffed. Pulling her hand out slowly from his shirt, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder languidly. "I'd be terribly jealous of a **her**. I'm secure enough in your love, Zuko, but honestly, I don't think I'll be able to let any female into our bed. I'm more territorial that way."

"And you don't think I'll have issues with this," he pointed out. His throat was trying to swallow, but he realized his mouth had suddenly become dry. He settled for another breath instead. No, the room hadn't stopped spinning.

"Fire Lord, you **know** that I would never love anyone more than I do you. So there are no jealousy issues. Besides, though the courtesans have a very good contraceptive program, we don't want any accidents." Mai pat his face absently. Zuko suspected she was going for reassurance, but he knew that a touch from her right now, was doing nothing remotely soothing. "I'm also secure enough in your masculinity not to care if we play with a male."

Zuko growled as he pulled her down against him. Surprised, she fell on her back and he managed to maneuver her underneath him. "Let's see how possessive of you I can be." It was times like these that Zuko reminded her that he was stronger than her. That he was male, and he could subdue her. That it doesn't mean that he's mostly submissive to her that he couldn't do so after five years of being together.

Mai gave him a challenge with that small rare smile. "Yes, Fire Lord. Let's see how possessive you really are."

oOo

"So I gather you like the idea?" Mai asked with a small purr of contentment as she ran her fingers against his chest, trailing the borders of the scar from Azula's fight. Possessive Zuko was always, always rough in bed. He shuddered at her light touch.

"Mai, I don't think I can go for another round," he said hoarsely as she idly trailed her hand against his stomach. "I'm not — Agni — mmmm —"

She stood up abruptly to go to the closet pulling out clothes, tossing the right set on the bed. "Get changed. We're taking a walk." She didn't see if he rose to comply. She trusted that he'd follow. Generic clothes, scarves to hide his scar. Ahh. She unpinned her crown. Late at night, no one was supposed to look for the Fire Lord anyway. It would reflect poorly on his skills if he couldn't step out for the evening.

As soon as she got dressed she found Zuko on the bed his mouth open, he had undressed, but he hadn't worn anything she'd picked yet. "Don't like your dress, soldier?"

He sighed as he stood up. She approached him lightly "I don't know how to put it on—"

"You've dressed me enough times, soldier. It's a dress. The Fire Lord's robes are dresses. Get used to it."

"Even the underwear, Mai?" he asked. She gave him a level stare. He sighed and stepped into them. She swat his hands away as she adjusted him in it. He gave a frustrated groan but tolerated her fingers on him while he rested his trembling hands on her shoulders for balance.

That done, she helped him with the dress. It was nice, flowing, and extremely feminine. It flared from his hips down to his ankles and it was bare from the clavicle, showing his slender shoulders, but was long sleeved to hide his muscular arms.

She unpinned his crown and ran her hands through his hair. "You smell like sweat and **me**, soldier," she murmured. He swallowed a protest. She smiled at his restraint. She pulled the long scarf from the bed, the last addition from the clothing she had piled onto the bed. She draped it over his hair and then tried to arrange it to hide his scar.

"I'm never going to live it down if someone recognizes me," Zuko murmured as he looked at the mirror while Mai fussed over the details. People were going to remember the scar, but in the harbor, everyone was wearing one eye patch or the other. Even the female soldiers. So she'd settled on covering the scar trying to make it look like a fresh wound. Covered with a pretty little scarf like the ladies.

"Yet here you are." Mai smiled. She pulled out two Dao swords from their resting place on his headboard and strapped them over the voluminous robes. It made for a nice contrast. "Don't worry, soldier. We'll go to the harbor. I'm pretty sure down there, no one **cares** what the Fire Lord looks like. And if they do, we can bribe or knife our way through it."

He sighed in resignation.

They ended up sneaking across the palace, across much of the town into much of the market district to get to the harbor. He halted when she pulled him across her. He finally realized where they were going. They had passed the area which was run by the Imperial board of revenue. There were red lamps made out of silk out in the front door showing clearly in the night.

"Come on, soldier, I'll buy you a drink," Mai whispered as they entered the wine house. She motioned for him to enter before her. He ducked into the low entrance and found a place in one of the low lying tables. She was grinning as she slid beside him.

"Aren't you worried bringing me here?" Zuko asked in a half-strangled, half-panicked voice.

Mai snorted, as she placed an order of wine before waiting for the patrons to approach them. "Don't be a dork. I'm pretty sure you could already teach them a thing or two about what they're doing on the floors. And nobody cares here, soldier. Here there's just money and need."

It was an utterly **male** establishment. It was overtly implied that though the women were offering wine and cups, it wasn't **all** that they were offering. Mai's hand remained on his thigh as the women came served them. It drove him mad, and continuously on the edge. She ran his hand over him like she didn't remember he was there, and she cupped him firmly when he was drinking.

And she made sure **everyone** knew exactly who he belonged to.

She was most possessive when the madame that was looking after guests came to the table to talk to them. "You would want two males, yes?" The overly made up lady asked in the low tones that the houses used.

Mai smiled behind a fan that she'd brandished from her sleeves as she leaned forward in mock confidence. "One effeminate male for **both** of us. One that doesn't mind secrets and a little bit of play. I don't mind paying more coin if you assure me that he's clean."

The owner laughed. "All of our workers here are clean. But of course, my lady, I know exactly who you need." She served both her and Zuko a cup of sake before she left to procure for them what Mai requested.

oOo

In the end, Zuko did **exactly** what Mai wanted.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

The Chinese invented prostitution in the Sung Dynasty. And they used red lamps t mark these so called "Wine Houses". Red light district meet Ancient China.

And I chickened out on the threesome at the last minute (It was too difficult for me to write). I had finally settled on a Jet/Zuko/Mai (after ruling out... a lot of threes, because there are a lot to rule out... Zuko gets around so much), and even wrote out the scenario how that was even possible... but well. It didn't happen. Mai wanted it to happen, and I wanted it to happen, but... well... inspiration was not coming. Mai got her wish but I have to imagine it instead. *sigh*

Mai was supposed to cross-dress, but since Zuko already had his fun, it was Mai's turn. Because seriously, Mai dressing male is less fun than Zuko dressing female.

We needed another smutty installation to the Control!verse. It was getting to be a bit too serious :p Constructive criticism on the smut scene is welcome. I had trouble writing the tension. -_-; Churning out reasonable smut is quite difficult. I can't believe that it was one of my goals: write SMUT for this pair up!

Uhhhhhh and this is probably the SHORTEST fic I've ever written.


	4. Killing Me Softly

**Note: **Another extremely sanitized version of an initially extremely… not child friendly fic. The original fic could be found **ice-of-dreams. livejournal. com / 88575. html **there.

**Disclaimer**: Avatar: The Last Airbender sprouted from the brilliant minds of Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, and is owned by Nickelodeon. I'm borrowing all the girls and Zuko for a while. I promise I'll return them.

Killing Me Softly

In retrospect, Zuko should have known that it was a bad idea to tell Mai, of all people, that he was bored. But last night, when she asked him about how the meeting with the delegates went, he had been honest in his assessment: He was bored. In a multi-national platform, with several of his ministers attending, the only reason he'd also been included in the talks was because the Avatar was there. On any other set of delegates, lesser officials would have micromanaged it for him.

For the last seven years, these meetings held an agenda that went on for the entire week. On the first day most of the leaders of the nations would talk and iron out the laws of war. Something which Zuko always paid attention to, especially since most of the war crimes were Fire Nation soldiers against the rest of the world.

Interesting enough, a Fire Nation minister pointed out that while the Fire Nation did have crimes against the world, a similar hearing should be held of crimes of the World against the Fire Nation. That particular minister had said that anything less would be considered 'Victor's Justice' and not true justice. He pointed out that the Avatar had also destroyed more than enough of the Fire Nation capital and villages. It was a valid point coming from his minister that couldn't be dismissed. Because to do less would be a disservice to his nation.

Over the next few days, dialogue would continue between all of the delegates. And finally on the final two days, Ministerial Negotiations would proceed before the last day where they would draft the final communiqué and decide to meet again the following year for the next round of talks. They held these talks on the Air Nomad's temples because it was decidedly neutral ground for everybody.

It was the Ministerial Negotiations that Zuko found boring. He'd already given them their directives, and most of the time, they already submitted their propositions to him in their own talks before putting forward to the summit, therefore there was no input needed from him. So, more often than not, he just watched the volley of his ministers talking to the Earth King Ministers or representatives from the Water Tribe. He'd listened to them argue for three years before he realized that they didn't really need him to listen to their arguments.

So he told her the truth: it was boring.

And Mai, well, she simply found the best way to relieve him of his boredom.

"Are you twitching in your seat?" Katara whispered loudly. "You don't look half as bored as you did yesterday."

Zuko stilled. Twitching? Really? He's going to kill Mai when he saw her next. "You are honestly bored out of your mind too."

_Zuko watched Mai wiped her jaw as she tugged him out of the bed. He groaned because she honestly couldn't just expect him to move after the treatment he'd received when he woke up. That was still puzzling because Mai never liked sex just after waking up in the morning. She complained that it was messy, that they were both still sleepy and that she didn't like the feeling of it. It was rare that she initiate __**any**__ morning activities to that variety. She did enjoy servicing him sometimes, to which he never complained, who would?_

She had managed to grin at him while pushing him inside the shower that was built into the temple. The mechanist had done wonders in the Air Nomad's technology, including hot showers for the Fire Nation royalty. Even their own suite.

"Aren't you joining me?" Zuko asked as he fiddled with the controls of the mechanism, gauging the water that was pouring out with his hand.

"Mmm, no, just get yourself clean. I'll wait for you in the room. Don't dress yet," Mai said as she ran the water in the sink, he heard her vaguely brushing her teeth and talking around the toothbrush. She raised her voice to be heard over the water, "And don't forget to empty your bladder."

Zuko stiffened. Those orders never bode well. He just _**knew**__ Mai hated morning activities. And there were only a few reasons why she'd actually initiate it._

Katara's voice broke the memory from this morning. Which was good. Zuko did not want reminders of this morning complicating the predicament he was in. "They don't need me here! Sokka I understand, because he's one of the candidates for become Chief after dad. Aang I definitely understand, but I'm not sure why I'm here."

"Uh, because you're one of the leaders in the health industry in the Water Tribes?" Zuko whispered back while keeping his eyes on one of the Ministers of Finance talking about investments. Katara snorted, because it wasn't called health industry in the water tribes. "You're good for Aang here anyway."

"He's more distracted now that I'm here," Katara pointed out as they both looked at Aang who was adjudicating the differences between the finance ministers. "He's nineteen, he's still flighty."

"He'll always be a little flighty," Zuko murmured then shifted his gaze towards Aang. They had put a good deal of burden on Aang's shoulders. But that had been the way it was since the start of the war, and apparently, even at the end of it. "He's just built that way. But other than the fact that he really wants the summit to work, he also wants to impress you."

"That's childish," Katara commented.

Zuko shrugged. He called it as he saw it. Aang was always going to try to be what Katara was going to want him to be. "Why are you sitting all the way here anyway?"

"Dad told Sokka and me that we were either going to stop fighting during these meetings or he was going to drag us to more. And though Sokka would want that, it was enough for me to want to sit somewhere else. I wasn't going to sit beside Toph. She's picking her **nose**." Zuko did not point out that Suki was not picking her nose. It didn't seem polite. Katara gave him an assessing look. "Besides, you looked really, really red this morning when you came in and I thought you were coming down with something."

_Mai raised an eyebrow at Zuko's entrance to their temporary room with a terry cloth riding low on his hips and another in his hands as he squeezed out the water from his long hair. He blew small tendrils of fire on his palm to warm himself because despite the fact that the temperatures during spring was not termed 'cold' for the other nations, it felt close to freezing for most Fire Nation delegates. As such, most Fire Nation delegates had packed warm clothes and overcoats. Clothes that they would have worn during the rainy wet season in the Fire Nation._

Mai was sitting at the edge of the bed and motioned towards the dresser. "Pick up that bottle of oil and that small sealed package, please." Then she widened the space between her legs, raised her skirt over her thighs and smoothed out the bed sheet underneath it indicating for Zuko to sit there.

He gave her a small look of question before picking up her request then sitting down in front of her giving her the items. She pulled in closer to absorb some of his warmth and hummed appreciatively with his heat before taking the small pack and leaving him with the oil bottle.

"You do know I'm naked under this, right?" Zuko complained lightly.

"You'll get over the cold. You have all that wonderful bending, I only have you." She tore open the package, and then leaned on the side of his shoulder, her chin on his arm as she showed him what looked like a small blunted nail with a dragon for its head. "Know what this is?"

He shook his head. "The answer to your boredom." He stiffened at Mai's words. Mai's solution to boredom usually required one of two things: a lot of knife throwing, which didn't seem to be the case, or a lot of sex. "I bought this months ago and asked the Imperial Physician how to use one, but the occasion never came up."

What kind of thing has Mai gotten a hold of now that _**required**__ a physician telling her what to do? "Is this going to be safe, Mai?"_

"When have I ever been less than safe? Pour some of the oil on my little dragon here." He did as she asked, then stopped when most of it was fully coated. It was still in its packet so that the oil could stay with it, and to minimize Mai's handling of the dragon. She put it aside for the moment and removed the knot of his terry cloth.

Zuko stopped then looked at Mai. She gave him a level look. "Hey, remember your crown is over there, by the dresser."

The Fire Lord's head piece has been their stop signal since they began experimenting with the more dangerous side of sex. He shook his head, he didn't want it. Mai stopped, uncertain, and he realized it was an unclear signal. "We're good, Mai. We are."

She fitted herself close against him, her thighs bracketing his, her front pressed to his back. Guiding his palms towards the edge of the bed she made him hold on to it. Her palms on top of his, she gave a small kiss on his shoulder. "Don't let go of the bed, soldier."  
  
Zuko gave a half strangled groan, Katara was not helping. Anything with references to heat, hot and **this morning** were not safe topics. "I think I may be coming down with something," he said in excuse. Because honestly he didn't think 'My wife is a lunatic in bed' was acceptable conversation in any context.

"You want a healing?" Katara offered.

Zuko's first reaction to that was: Good Agni! NO! The last thing he needed was Katara knowing exactly what he and Mai did behind closed doors. He was never going to live down the ribbing from **everyone**. "I think it's just altitude sickness. I'll get over it."

Katara looked like she didn't believe him but let it pass anyway. "Oh good. It's a recess. I need to stretch my legs. Look everybody's signaling."

Zuko wondered if he was going to survive through the day if he couldn't even survive through the first quarter of the meeting. Mai was definitely going to get something from him. It wasn't so bad if he was sitting down. All right, it was at least slightly tolerable if he wasn't moving. If he started **walking** things were going to get a little bit dangerous.

He waved for Katara to go ahead. "I'll follow you. I just need to, uh, mmm, write some notes."

"Write some notes?" Katara repeated in confusion.

"Yes," Zuko insisted, waving on the small table that held some scrolls and ink for him to write on. "Important Fire Lord stuff. Fire Nation stuff. Boring. You go ahead."

With one last look at him she shrugged and followed everybody out of the room into the small receiving room. Zuko dropped his head into his hands. He really needed to kill Mai. All the threats weren't helping with the way the dragon was pushed inside him, but it made him feel a little better.

oOo

When Zuko had managed a semblance of control, he walked slowly towards the Avatar's group, currently carousing in one of the corners of the room. They had commandeered a long snack table where Zuko noticed, a good deal of fruit pies were placed.

"Finished writing your reports?" Katara asked when she noticed that he was hobbling towards them.

Zuko resisted the urge to wince, but it had warbled the smile on his face into something that took Katara by surprise. He schooled his expression to a less pained one and shook his head, leaning on one of the tables for support, "Ahh, not yet, those ministers really work me to death."

"You big complainer, you," Toph scoffed cuffing him on the shoulder. As soon as the punch connected, she stopped, tilted her head and wrinkled her forehead in bewilderment. "Uhhh, Zuko, what do you have under your shirt that's making it all uneven?"

Zuko did not think he groaned but he bit his lip from preventing to do it anyway. "They're uh, suspenders," Zuko covered lamely, wondering what the hell suspenders were for. He was making it up as it went along. "They... hold up all of the... cloth in these robes."

_Mai pushed Zuko towards the table and guided his hands on the edge again, his back half supported by the table. She waited until he found his own balance before she leaned her cheek on his chest. "You're still fine?" There was a slight flush all over his body, and the minute twitch of his knee, but he nodded._

She picked up coiled rope from the side of the bed and unfolded it slowly while he supported himself on the desk. "You know, it's really hard to find good hemp," Mai told him a low even voice while she found the center of the red rope. "Fire Nation soldiers upgraded to those wooden or metallic handcuffs but some of the old fashion ones still carry it."

Once she found the center she looped it around Zuko's neck, the two ends passing over his shoulders to dangle loosely in front of his chest. As it passed from his neck to his chest, he caught a whiff of the fibers, hemp had a very distinct woodsy earthy smell and this particular rope had also been treated with oils. She pressed the hemp against his abdomen and surprisingly, the rope was soft. "Spend a lot of time in jails, Mai?"

"My ex-boyfriend left me in a maximum security prison," Mai said in an indignant huff while twisting the rope ends against each other in front of his chest. Its red color stood out against the paleness of his skin. "Some guards there taught me how to we use restraints when handcuffs aren't available."

"You were tied up like _**this**__ with some guards?" Zuko demanded, gaining some of the fire had been simmering since she'd inserted the dragon._

She placed a hand at the center of his chest, where his scar was at, calming his racing heart. "I had clothes on. I was with my uncle and Ty Lee. There are only a handful of guards who know the old ways. And honestly, I don't think they realized what I meant to do with it." Her uncle was the only reason he hadn't gone back to get her in Boiling Rock. He knew that even with disobedience to Azula, her uncle would look out for her. He could just imagine her in Boiling Rock, bored, approaching her uncle asking him to teach her how to tie someone.

When he was sufficiently calmed, she smoothed the rope against him, winding the ropes carefully around his chest. He leaned his head on her shoulder. The ties weren't tight yet, but there was promise there. She pulled the rope in front and passed it through the bands that were already coiled on his chest then methodically passed the ends front to back and then back to front again and again.

He took deep breaths as each pass of the rope tightened the rest of that was already in place. Her fingers were dexterous as she twisted the ropes against each other to bend at a certain way and hold them in place. He watched her sure fingers as she worked, and breathed in her scent and the well cared for oils that had softened the hemp's fibers.

She took the time to let him feel the grain as she made sure the bands pressed closely to his skin. When she finished she tucked the ends coiling it with another, securing the web without tying any knots. She stepped back and he felt the harness around him, caging him, framing most of his upper body in view. It didn't restrict movement, but he was more aware of his skin: its heat, the sweat, the fact that he rubbed against the rope every time he breathed. He was going to die. "How am I going to think during the summit?" he managed croak when he found his voice.

Two crosses framed his pectorals, several webs cut across his abdomen to set off the muscles. Nothing could hide his red face or the rivulets of sweat that dripped off his body.

"I thought it's the minister's meeting today? That you were bored out of your mind because you were just observing. That there are going to be scribes," she ticked off, repeating what he had complained about yesterday. "Besides you'll get used to it sooner or later."

He hoped it was sooner rather than later. As it was, Mai's cure for boredom was driving him insane.

She held up a small wooden box. He gulped when he recognized it.

She was driving him mad and she wasn't finished yet.

"Hold cloth in your robes? Sounds like something Mai would do for you." Suki said slowly, sounding the words out in disbelief. He tried to remember what they were talking about, but it was difficult with Mai's brand of distraction. "That reminds me, where is your wife anyway? I thought you brought her here. I haven't seen her."

Zuko tried to go for a casual shrug, he was happy that the formal robes that had been packed for this trip were the heavy duty cloth made for the Air Nomad's temples instead of the usual Fire Nation silk. That would have clung to his skin and made the ropes obvious. However, Zuko still couldn't manage a shrug that looked close to casual. His expression might have been a cross between quiet agony and flustered panic. "Mai's a traditionalist. You know the Fire Nation rarely allows females into politics. Azula was a rather spectacular exception."

When Sokka raised his hand to slap him on the back Zuko pushed Toph in front of him. "Oh that's just great, hiding behind a blind girl," Toph criticized, her head turned slightly towards Zuko's direction.

Sokka frowned at his sudden lack of target. "Well we're not meeting now. Mai must want to meet us or she wouldn't have tagged along."

"The Fire Sages insisted she come to 'mingle' with the other 'females'." Zuko still didn't understand what the Fire Sages wanted, and they weren't insisting she join the politics so it baffled both of them that she was sent with him. They both thought that it might have just been them wanting her to be seen with him. "She'd rather have spent time with Shenzu, but he's too young to travel."

"It must be great to have all of those servants taking care of the little brat," Sokka said with a tinge of envy. Sokka himself was relegated to babysitting duties by a lot of the women folk when he looked bored. It was a fact that he complained about relentlessly when Shenzu was brought up in any conversation.

"The perks of being rich," Toph said in a low monotone, which Zuko uneasily interpreted as her 'Sokka could stuff his ignorant foot into his filthy mouth' tone. Toph had never been a fan of the entire nanny system.

"All right, look dad's waving us back in," Katara pointed out; giving her dad a half-hearted nod and a small sigh towards the rest of the group.

Aang groaned, and popped a last pie into his mouth before he sprinted off towards the double doors that led to the formal receiving rooms. Sokka and Suki followed hand in hand, Toph gave him what seemed to be the equivalent of an assessing look before she followed everyone else. Which left Katara.

Zuko had wanted everyone to go on ahead before he even attempted to walk a second time, but he should have known Katara would have wanted to make sure he was all right. He tried to fortify his breath before he stepped away from the table. It only sent a small zing to his spine this time.

_"I think I remember promising someone some time ago a little payback with regard to these." Mai opened the case she was carrying showing one layer of metallic balls that he'd used on her. He'd brought along the metallic practice balls but he'd been too busy to use them._

He swallowed but found out that his throat was rather sore and dry. He was going to need a drink of water before he left for the summit, he noted absently. Mai positioned him again, the back of his thighs pressed firmly against the table, his hands, on her shoulders. He quirked one eyebrow and she gave him a small smile before sinking to kneel in front of him.

_oOo_

_"Stay for a moment," Mai ordered after led him to the bed finishing what she'd wanted from him._

"I'm going to be late," he realized, but followed her instructions and simply decided to stay wrecked on the bed.

She laughed before bringing in a basin of water and a rag, wiping the sweat from his body and bathing his face. When he was sufficiently cleaned of the sweat that he worked up during their session she stood up again and disappeared out of the double doors of their suite. She came back with a tray of food and water, and then proceeded to feed him. "You're not going to be late. I timed it pretty well," she said in mild reassurance. "The guards outside told me we have at least an incense stick of time left."

Zuko sat up swiftly, ignoring the burn of the ropes, the slide of the thin dragon and the movement of the spheres. "There are guards outside our _**doors**__?"_

Mai gave him a level look. The guards had been there for the past week. They were bodyguards and also served as temporary servants. They brought food every morning and reminded them when the meetings were about to start. It shouldn't have surprised him that they were _**there**__._

When she was finished feeding him, she pulled out heavy robes from the dresser and helped him dress with it. She hid all of the ropes, and shifted the heavy cloth so that it fell naturally against his skin, even when the hemp framed him.

Finished with her task, she looked at him critically, and then pulled him down for a small kiss. "You look so beautiful with that corset." He snorted in disbelief, but let her get away wit the statement. She led him towards the doors and then kissed him again. "I'm going to shower, dress and think of _**you**__ the entire day, Fire lord. Make sure you come to the room straight after the summit."_

His knee almost buckled at the words. She opened the doors and then smiled pleasantly at the guards outside. "The Fire lord is a little... warm. He might need to take a lot of breaks and drink a lot of water during the summit. Please take care of him."

"Mai!" He was hardly an invalid.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at his feet, daring him to walk. He took one step, felt the balls move inside him, and almost groaned. He might survive, but walking was going to be a little bit difficult until he got a hang of it. He _**hoped**__ he got the hang of it. It was going to be embarrassing as hell if he leaned against a guard when he reached the hall._

oOo

Katara groaned in appreciation once they were dismissed for the day. "Finally over. You look thankful enough. Half of the time, I thought you were going to try to crawl over the walls."

Katara didn't know the half of it. Zuko did not plan to inform her of this little fact. He tried to come up with a suitable and non-dork filled statement when Mai peeked through the double doors. She raised an eyebrow at him gave a small tilt of her head towards one of the back rooms and disappeared.

Katara was already rambling of something or the other, and Zuko could not really find an excuse to cut her off. But he was desperate enough to scan the room for their friends, because he wanted to leave. Immediately.

"Let the Fire Lord go, Katara," Suki said half in laugh when she managed to stop by, noticing the way Zuko was shifting uncomfortably and looking for a way to escape. "He's antsy enough as it is."

With a grateful nod at Suki, Zuko half-ran, half-trotted to the nearest room where Mai could be in. Brilliant, brilliant woman, she had made it easy for him to find her. She wrapped her arms around him, parking her chin on his shoulder in welcome before dragging him inside a small **broom closet** of all things. " I've been thinking of all the things I could do to you all day."

"You? What do you think that little stunt did to me?" He thought he broke past frustrated into unbearable when they finished lunch. And he managed to turn unbearable into blind need when he saw her. He caught her mouth in his in a mad scramble to lose the clothes.

"I kept thinking of you in those ropes, you wanting and - keeping you in endless frustration is frustrating me too."

"Mai I think I killed you twenty eight times in my head today," he told her gravely as he tugged all of her robes off, and then didn't even bother with the knife holster.

It was fast hard and dirty.

There could be no other way.

oOo

"Those balls are still inside me," Zuko complained, not quite regaining his bones yet.

"We'll get them out in our room," Mai said with a distracted air as she groped around in the dark for the belt that held her clothes up. "A little fire would be useful."

He lit one without thought as he tried to put his clothes to right as well. The ropes were still caging most of his upper body, but Mai hadn't wanted to cut them out, and they couldn't leave with all of that rope in their hands inconspicuously.

When they both decided they were halfway decent, Mai opened the door and shielded her eyes from the light from outside. One of the guards had been standing near the broom closet, face red. Zuko reminded himself to give some of their guards a personal bonus, fighting to keep his face from blushing too.

"Sooo..." the drawl was long and pointed. Zuko swiveled around to find Toph standing to one side, face scrunched up in glee. "How much are you willing to pay to keep this little secret between the Fire Nation royalty and me?"

Mai laughed. Zuko could just groan in misery. He was never going to hear the end of this. Period.

**Author's Notes**:  
This... took an **enormous** amount of time to write (look at the time stamp, started 10.18.2010) , mainly because of the Maiko Big Bang. But also because November 1 & 2 is a religious holiday for us here, I had a major licensing exam and to top it off I finally got a job as an emergency room doctor so the 24-duties are occupying my time. I also wanted to do a Chinese Halloween fic, but for the same reasons stated above, wasn't able to do it...

If you're interested in WRITING a 20,000 word Maiko fic or DRAWING for the fic please come and join us at banked-flame. Livejournal. com :) we need fanartists and writers.

Shibari, the restraints Mai uses on Zuko really was a form of form of handcuff in Japan back in the middle ages. I'm not kidding. I used Shibari in a Ranma AU fic set in the middle ages. I just recycled an old idea of mine. You can't believe how difficult it is to find research involving shibari and a male sub.

And I don't think it's SAFE to keep it this long. Maybe the torso ropes, and sure the anal beads but not the sound (well I've put catheters in those places and replaced them mostly every three days but honestly haven't played with sounds... so I'm stepping out of the realm of "I know this" here). We're just suspending disbelief for a moment.

That was a whole load of kinkiness in one post, sounding, shibari (Japanese rope tying) and an almost anal bead.

Have I said that I really hate writing politics? It was one of my failings. Politics and Economics. The talks in these chapters are patterned after the Hague laws on war crimes, and the summits are patterned loosely after International Government Organizations, mostly ASEAN and G20. The ideas of war crime punishment came about after reading a fic of bombalurima1, where Zuko was paying off reparations of the Fire Nation, and I thought that huh, well... they don't have war crime laws yet and then I researched and well this was the product. I swear people shouldn't point me to research too much.


End file.
